France threatens to pull out of TTIP

Following this weekend’s leak by Greenpeace, demonstrating not only that the TTIP is driven entirely by narrow corporate interests, but that Obama is openly willing to reneg on his pro-environment agenda just to pass the Transatlantic Treaty at any cost, the blowback arrived earlier today when France became the first major European nation which threatened to reject the huge free trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union, “it’s too friendly to U.S. business and probably doomed.”

Signs of trouble have been dogging the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a U.S.-EU free trade zone encompassing half the world economy, for months – but only today have we seen the accumulated tension bubble up to the surface.

French president Francois Hollande said Tuesday that France “will never accept” challenges to its farming and culture in exchange for better access to U.S. markets. “That’s why at this stage, France says no,” the Socialist leader said at a conference on left-wing politics.

Earlier Tuesday, French Trade Minister Matthias Fekl told Europe-1 radio that negotiations “are totally blocked” and that a halt to talks “is the most probable option.” He insisted on better farming and environmental protections, adding that “in its current state, France cannot sign it.”

“Europe is giving a lot … but receiving very little in return,” he said.

Major disagreements

In an unexpected twist to what was supposed to be a smoothly implemented treaty, European officials appear to be toughening their rhetoric after Greenpeace leaked large amounts of confidential negotiating documents that suggest the EU is coming under U.S. pressure to weaken consumer protections in key sectors.

The EU chief negotiator said several Greenpeace conclusions were “false” while U.S. Trade representative spokesman Trevor Kincaid said the interpretations were misleading and sometimes wrong.

Still, EU negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero said Monday that major disagreements remain between the two sides following the 13th round of talks last week. The U.S. election campaign is complicating negotiations, making it increasingly unlikely that President Barack Obama can achieve a deal before leaving office.

France and some other European countries with rich culinary and farming traditions are particularly concerned about U.S. policies that give greater freedom to trade in genetically modified food, chlorine-rinsed poultry and hormone-treated beef.

France is also protective of subsidies to its film industry, fearing eventual domination by deep-pocketed Hollywood.

Meanwhile, as reported previously, support for the TTIP has tumbled on both sides of the Atlantic, with just 15% of Americans and 17% of Germans now responding that the trade deal would be beneficial, down from more than half as of two years ago.